See the Stunning Chinese Bookstore That Looks Like an Endless Tunnel of Books

By Alison Nastasi

July 23, 2017

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Zhongshuge, which roughly translates to “Bell Book Loft” (according to Mashable), is one of a chain of bookstores and libraries designed by Shanghai studio XL-Muse Architects that references the Chinese city of Yangzhou’s ancient architecture and the culture’s connection to water. Black, mirrored surfaces create the illusion that the bookstore is a tunnel that stretches on for infinity. Books are shelved floor to ceiling — literally. The concept was to create a river of books (the city is close to the Yangtze River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal), which is why the arched ceilings were installed. See more incredible photos from the Zhongshuge in our gallery.